Fortress Villa Park Needs You

Just back after one of the best games I have been to in a long time and full of alcohol, so I have thought lets spell it out. We are in the midst of a turning tide at Villa. There is promise in the air and with the football gods shining on us coupled with team performance, we can get things moving.

The transfer window is closed and season 07/08 is in full affect.What are we going to do about it. Are we going to file it with the other statistics, of nearly there, or almost achieved or can we possibly say: Well son..that was when it started. That was the tipping point..

Today was what football was all about. It was exhilarating. The team battled and worked hard for each other and sent the fans home happy..oh and put 3 points on the board and beat Chelsea (has a nice ring doesn't it?)

So like most things, once you have a taste of it you want more. The football and the battling display..yes please. But to be in the thick of it with 42, 0000 Villa fans willing every tackle, encouraging every break and gasping at every chance. That is what supporting your team is about.

So let's put things into perspective. We hold 42, 500+ at Villa Park. We live in a city that is the second city of England. Not because it has great museums, or world class entertainment venues..although it does. But because it has a population of over 1 million people. I am no mathematician but 42k, into1 million goes a few times! Then if I was to say that there are over 4 million people within a 40 minute drive from Birmingham, we should hang our heads in shame. That is one hell of a capita, that could support our club. Hey they may like, cricket, golf, oragami or flowering arranging but even a 60k capacity stadium, versus a potential 5 million customer base,well you do the maths. The potential is there...

So I move onto my next point. What is perceived as a big club?

In my eyes it is league position and filling your stadium. For example Newcastle is deemed a big club, yet they last won a trophy 37 years ago! But they fill 53,000 seats week in week out. Big Club is the perception to everyone, including all the star names they attract, because of the atmosphere they promise to new players. (Does an actor want to perform at a community hall or the Albert Hall?) On the other hand Blackburn won the Premier league 12 years ago and the league cup 5 years ago, but they can't fill Ewood Park. Would you say they are a big club? Personally I don't think so, but they have been more successful than most in recent years.

Stadium capacity when watching on TV is the message a club sends out to the rest of the country, and to over 1 Billion people in 195 countries where the EPL is broadcast. Do we want to be a big club? YES. Do we want to have a worldwide fan base and growing respect? YES. Do we need to fill VP every week and create the sort of atmosphere that scares the sh*t out of the opposition? Absolutely YES.

The club can't make the fans attend. It can't make them sing and create the sort of atmosphere that I felt today. And I can only dream and wish to experience the same atmosphere on a weekday night in Europe.

A few beers to set the mood, the darkness everywhere, and walking out into VP lit up with the floodlights and a grown mans Disney world is there in full view.

Is it a dream, can WE make it reality.

This is what the fans bring to the club.

This is the glue that bonds Randy, Martin O'Neill, the players and VP..us the fans.

If you can get down, lets set the tone for the future. Aston Villa is a big club. With passionate support.

Let's play our part in taking us to where we want to be.and show the world that the football club that created league football in 1888 knows how to put on a match!

Up the Villa

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It was'nt a full house yesterday pribcipally because ticket sales were stopped over the week-end because I understand it was thought that Villa fans were buying tickets for Chelsea fans. The sooner we have 42,000+ season ticket holders the better, which would obviously cut our these sharp practices!

Excellent post. What the club now needs is an anthem to unite the fans in all stands. Holteenders in the sky sung by the fans in the lower north would emphasize this point. websites need to take an active part in this and for once get something sorted.

I've contacted one of the directors el sid, asked them to request Geezer Butler to get a Black Sabbath 'holteenders in the sky' anthem done for us. The director as promised to make contact as they've had contact with the Sabbath boys before.

Some of us have been going week in week out for 20+ years and more, personally I hope we can attract the youngsters of the local areas to come to Villa Park instead of wearing Manure, Liverpool and Chelski shirts. All the pubs in the Birmingham area were full apparently and going mad for it when we scored so hopefully they might get their a**es up VP for the real live experience. One thing that the club must get on top of is when the so called 'top four' arrive in town, that away fans stay in the away section, at the liverpool game there were scousers everywhere in the Witton stand, same with Chelsea yesterday, not as many but they were still there wearing their shirts aswell, its a disgrace that they can stand there in their shirts and the stewards don't say a word. Home sections are for home fans only or the odd neutral.

think it will happen astonmilan, the kids only wear the other shirts because they became the winners/glamour boys. I used to struggle convincing my nephew, he'd ask who our stars were and it wasn't easy to tell him. He got the faith in the end though. Winning will breed more local fans, shouldn't be like that, it should be in the blood, but hey ho, people want instant success now.

Don't worry Hoss, I am seeing what is being said :o) However everybody is doing my talking for me. I have banged the drum for ages now so I am glad others are doing their bit. Massively disappointed with the 5000 empty seats. This board are bending over backwards to encourage extra support and not enough people are responding. Each empty seat is a smack in the face for them and reduces the clubs bargaining power when they are looking to generate revenue from sponsors and business partners. Regular site users already know that I think the thing that could really hamper our development chances are the fans. To many excuses as always. For example the Fulham game was at 3pm on a Saturday but we got less for that than a live Sunday game yesterday. Those who are primarily to blame will say that Chelsea are a more attractive fixture. Well I would say that is utter crap. You come to the Villa to watch the Villa, regardless of the opposition. If we got Blackburn in a cup final would fans not go because it is Blackburn. Of course not. Filling VP for League games is more important than selling out for one off occasions. And as for away supporters in Villa sections, just have quiet word with the offending fan and tell them unless they leave you will knock them out. If you are not comfortable with this you tell a steward. If they do not remove them, you take their details and report it to the General. Every seat has a booking reference and those found to be visiting supporters or to have bought tickets and then sold them to visiting supporters will be black listed. As for the atmosphere yesterday it was tremendous. Every player and M'ON should come out and say what a difference having all 4 sides of the ground singing makes. As a marketing point, I would refuse to sell any tickets for the Manure game unless they are purchased with a ticket for another fixture.

voiceoftheholte - don't just blame the fans for not attending. I have 2 mates that could'nt get seats - apparently for some reason or other tickets were taken off sale because they were afraid they were going to Chelsea fans! Don't know any more but I would have thought the club ought to issue a statement clarifying the exact position.

Everyone of the missing 5,000 will have a hard luck sob story to tell as to why they couldn't quite make it down to Villa Park on a bright, pleasant, late summer afternoon, early season with hopes and dreams still high, the opponents arguably one of the top four outfits in Europe. B/S i'm afraid. Total and utter b/s. Hang your heads in shame couch potato/part time fans (not supporters). You're letting the club down.

I would 100% have been there if I hadn't been forced to go to Poand for a wedding by my missus. I would also have been at the Fulham game if I hadn't had to work. I desperately want a season ticket but have debts up to my eyeballs. I will be at the Everton match.

Adam Deuce, I ought to stress perhaps that yes of course there are genuine reasons for not attending games, and maybe distance/work often disallows a true diehard Villan from being there. My finger of accusation is pointed at the locals, those within the West Midlands region, all of who can come up with the most weak and feeble excuses for not being there at the mere drop of a hat. They then call themselves supporters. Well sorry, but that doesn't wash with me. Excuses for not being bothered, thats all they can really come up with.

Havent said that though, its great that the grand old stadium is rockin and rollin again. The place is alive once more, intimidating. Long may that continue, its been a virtual morgue for way too long.

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